During my time at CH ( late sixties early seventies ) I recall that some if not all of the pupils took part in an early trial injection against flu. All I know is that since that injection I have never had flu and rarely a cold. Anyone else remember anything about this?

My wife and I have had yearly flu shots for the last decade or so. Sometimes it apparently works and sometimes not.

, we get repeated automated texts from the surgery.

The actual vaccine is slightly different from year to year depending on the WHO's predictions.

Yes - it is formulated on what they think will be the predominent strains in the next winter. Whether or not you get an NHS jab depends on your health record (I've been having it for decades) or if you are ancient (that's her indoors!). Looks like they guessed wrongly this year so I just keep hoping.

‘So, still happy you voted for my namesake who took away your health insurance, raised your taxes and should turn out to be a mental patient?’

My wife and I have had yearly flu shots for the last decade or so. Sometimes it apparently works and sometimes not.

Same as that, Martin.

If my wife and I forget to re-book our vaccinations, we get repeated automated texts from the surgery.

The actual vaccine is slightly different from year to year depending on the WHO's predictions.

There was a severe outbreak in1957 - no vaccines then. I did not catch it and remember helping in the infirmary. Several houses were used for emergency beds. Can anyone shed any more information about this? My memory is poor.

There was a severe outbreak in1957 - no vaccines then. I did not catch it and remember helping in the infirmary. Several houses were used for emergency beds. Can anyone shed any more information about this? My memory is poor.

It was a bit like reading Camus's 'The Plague' -- every day, more people were missing. The emergency bedding started in Maine B and moved westward, getting as far as Lamb B I think. But pictures taken of dinner parades at the time show about 10 people per house marching in, so perhaps even more dormitories were taken over. All sorts of women (masters' wives, for example) from around the estate were commandeered as nurses. And beyond --
I recall at least two mothers. Unusually, it was in the autumn, before the usual start of the flu season. CMES decreed that teaching should continue till the last day of term, which was unusual.

I recall 'convalescent tables' in Hall. I don't remember whether there were convalescent wards.

There was a severe outbreak in1957 - no vaccines then. I did not catch it and remember helping in the infirmary. Several houses were used for emergency beds. Can anyone shed any more information about this? My memory is poor.

But pictures taken of dinner parades at the time show about 10 people per house marching in, so perhaps even more dormitories were taken over.

Somewhere there is a photo of Col A going in to lunch with five on parade - and one of those was borrowed, I think. I must have been in bed myself. From dim memory I didn't feel particularly ill - not like later attacks.

Earlier there had been an epidemic of mumps, I think in the easter term. I got through that but, going by ship to Belfast, less than a week into the holidays I woke up with the mumps. We didn't tell the others sharing the cabin and my aunt (who had two boys herself) was very displeased.

‘So, still happy you voted for my namesake who took away your health insurance, raised your taxes and should turn out to be a mental patient?’

Nowadays - last year there were two sorts of jab, the NHS trivalent one and a quadrivalent that allegedly protected against the type of flu that was going to lay the country waste this year. This coming winter the quad will be available on the NHS but NOT to OAPs - my GP says he will not be reimbursed for quad for them.

There is a good BBC4 programme on iPlayer called 'Contagion' which shows how, under some circumstances, a single carrier of a truly virulent form like the 1918/1919 epidemic, walking around Haslemere for one day could end up within two months infecting 41 million people of whom >880,00 will die. Start panicking now.

There is a good BBC4 programme on iPlayer called 'Contagion' which shows how, under some circumstances, a single carrier of a truly virulent form like the 1918/1919 epidemic, walking around Haslemere for one day could end up within two months infecting 41 million people of whom >880,00 will die. Start panicking now.

I didn't see the programme but this is a simple example of how an unsuspecting individual can take a disease from one part of the world by a simple flight. This is how on occasion there is an outbreak of malaria around Heathrow airport which I beleive has led to a fatality (the anopholes mosquitos cannot survive an English winter and for some reason UK types of mosquitos do not transmit malaria)

‘So, still happy you voted for my namesake who took away your health insurance, raised your taxes and should turn out to be a mental patient?’

There was a severe outbreak in 1957 - no vaccines then. I did not catch it and remember helping in the infirmary. Several houses were used for emergency beds. Can anyone shed any more information about this? My memory is poor.

I remember this outbreak. The Sicker was quickly filled, and boys were billeted into House dormitories, starting with Maine B. If your bed was needed you had to give it up and go elsewhere, presumably to a bed vacated by a flu victim. I had just moved up into Maine B. and it so happened that I was billeted in my own bed.